On the 27 September, the Transitional Justice Institute(TJI, Ulster University) in partnership with the Committee on the Administration of Justice(CAJ) in association with the Equality Coalition and Research and Impact Ulster University will host a discussion seminar on the human rights and equality implications of the EU referendum held on the 23 June  in the MAC Belfast.

The interest in this seminar is so great that there has been a change in venue to accommodate a bigger audience.  The over-subscription is indicative of the importance of holding a seminar now that people have had time to take stock of the impact on human rights and equality of the Leave decision.

This seminar will draw together a range of speakers (see below) from a wide variety of academic and practitioner backgrounds both from the voluntary and public sector. The speakers will share their expert perspectives and insights on the human rights and equality impact of the EU referendum. The seminar aims to highlight the range of challenges, threats and opportunities that Brexit poses both at a local and international level. The European Union proclaims its adherence to certain foundational values –  liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and rule by law though whether its  policies adequately respect these values is open to debate. Nevertheless EU law and policy has offered support for human rights (especially anti-discrimination law) and the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Leave decision  has been accompanied with a rise in hate crime reports and mean while the decision does not seem to have quieted calls for reform to the Human Rights Act.

We invite you to attend and share your views to help us work towards ensuring that these values –  liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and rule by law –  are protected in a volatile post-Brexit era.

Speakers include :

Prof. Colin Harvey QUB School of Law “Reflections on Human Rights and Citizenship in a Changing Constitutional Context”

Paul MacFlynn Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) “Economic implications of BREXIT”

Patricia McKeown, UNISON/Co-Convener Equality Coalition and member EU European Economic and Social Committee, “Equality and socioeconomic rights implications”

Prof. Fionnuala Ni Aolain, Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster “The Belfast Agreement and Beyond: Treaty Law, Customary International Law and Other International Legal Obligations: Implications for Brexit”

Prof Rory O’Connell, Director TJI “The political constitution ten years form no – dodo or phoenix?”

Claire Archbold, Deputy Departmental Solicitor, Departmental Solicitor’s Office “Brexit – the task ahead for Northern Ireland?”

Ciaran White, Law School, Ulster University. “Brexit and NI Employment Law – a proposal for an NI-specific framework to defend workers’ EU rights?”

2.5 CPD points will be available for barristers. Solicitors attending this event will be eligible to claim 2 general group study CPD hours.

For more information, please visit  www.ulster.ac.uk/transitionaljustice and http://www.caj.org.uk/

RSVP via email to johannes@caj.org.uk